Religion and the South Asian diaspora

Abstract

In the expansive manner in which ‘diaspora’ has come to be employed, the centrality of religion in the ‘classical’ understanding of the concept has been subsumed under categories such as ‘ethnicity’ and ‘culture’. Yet even as religious practices and beliefs undergo transformation in the diaspora, studies of South Asian emigrant groups show that religion remains a key marker of community identity – its pivotal role invigorated by the contemporary precipitation in global connections. By scrutinising the specific experiences, practices and contentions of a wide‐array of diasporic communities, the articles in this Special Issue reveal the renewed power of religion in the South Asian diaspora.

Keywords:

• religion
• diaspora
• identity
• transformation
• ethnicity

Acknowledgements

We were heartened by the great number of research papers we received for this Special Issue. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all contributors and express our sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers whose thorough reports and constructive comments were instrumental in raising the quality of the articles. Special thanks are due to Professor Pratap Kumar for his editorial that has embellished this Special Issue. Finally, we are indebted to Dr Ajaya Sahoo, the editor of South Asian Diaspora, for his support throughout this process. Without his expertise and goodwill, this Special Issue would not have been possible.